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We are huge Disney fans so we never miss a visit to Tokyo DisneySea when we’re in Japan. It’s our favourite Disney park in the world.
DisneySea rides are more adult-orientated than at its sister park Tokyo Disneyland, and there are many other attractions that are great to do without kids like have a cocktail in a 1920s lounge on a fancy cruise liner (yes, really!).
DisneySea is nautical themed with eight impressive ports inspired by both real places and ocean legends including American Waterfront, Mediterranean Harbor (which looks just like Italy!), the unique Mysterious Island complete with erupting volcano, and the new Fantasy Springs.
This detailed Tokyo DisneySea review includes our favourite DisneySea rides, recommended one-day itinerary, and other tips to help you make the most of your stay and avoid the crowds.
Contents
- Top Tokyo DisneySea Rides and Attractions
- Other Tokyo DisneySea Attractions
- Fantasy Springs: New in 2024
- DisneySea 1 Day Itinerary for Adults
- DisneySea Tickets
- Priority Pass and Premier Access at Tokyo DisneySea
- Time-Saving Tips for Tokyo DisneySea
- Tokyo DisneySea Hotels
- The Best Time to Visit DisneySea
- Food at DisneySea
- Should You Visit Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea?
- How to Get to DisneySea
- Is Tokyo DisneySea Worth Visiting?
- More Japan Posts
Top Tip: Make sure to book your tickets in advance as they are no longer available at the gate and they do sell out. The easiest way to purchase for English speakers is to get an e-ticket from authorised partner Klook. Get your Tokyo DisneySea tickets here.
Top Tokyo DisneySea Rides and Attractions
These are the best Tokyo DisneySea rides ranked in order starting with our personal favourites. Your tastes may differ.
1) Soaring: Fantastic Flight
Soaring is a flight motion-simulator where you fly over the famous landscapes of the world.
It’s so relaxing to soar over the world, legs dangling, feeling the breeze and smelling the scents of the various environments.
It’s similar to the Epcot attraction in Florida, but what makes the DisneySea version of Soaring unique is the immersive queue and impressive pre-show which takes you on a tour of the Museum of Fantastic Flight dedicated to humankind’s dream of flying.
There are also additional scenes in the video featuring Tokyo.
As it’s a fairly new DisneySea attraction (opened in 2019), Soaring is currently the most popular ride in the park (that may change when Fantasy Springs opens in June 2024). On our visit, queues got up to 130 minutes!
I recommend riding it as soon as the park opens or even easier, purchasing Disney Premier Access to skip the queue (more on that below), which is what we did. Purchase early as it does sell out.
Note that although it’s a motion-simulator, the ride is very gentle and has never made me feel sick.
2) Tower of Terror
DisneySea’s Tower of Terror is as wonderfully terrifying as the others in Disney parks around the world including Hollywood Studios.
The theming is different—Japan’s Tower of Terror is an abandoned New York hotel in 1912—and the pre-ride story is in Japanese, but you can’t beat the anticipation as you ride the elevator to the upper floors of the hotel and wait for the sudden plummet.
It’s definitely one of the best Tokyo DisneySea rides. Queues are usually long but we only had a short wait by riding it first thing.
In the winter months, look out for Tower of Terror Unlimited, which includes unusual fall patterns and extra drops to make it even scarier.
3) Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Within a volcano at the heart of the park, Mysterious Island is the most fantastical of the ports.
The main attraction is Journey to the Centre of the Earth, a dark thrill ride that takes you deep underground.
It’s very atmospheric, even in the queue there’s plenty to see, and the ride ends with a dramatic climax.
It’s one of the best rides at DisneySea and can’t be found at any other Disney park.
On our last visit, we rode it using Priority Pass and waited 15 minutes when the standby queue was 50 minutes at midday.
4) Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
This dark thrill ride is a simulated off-road journey through the Temple of the Crystal Skull.
Indiana Jones is a fun if bumpy ride with great theming (expect lots of skeletons and skulls).
This is a good ride to use the single-rider queue to save time if queues are long. You could also ride it with a free Priority Pass (as we did) or wait until the end of the day when wait times usually drop off.
5) Raging Spirits
Raging Spirits is an outdoor roller coaster that’s one of the few Disney rides to go upside down with a 360º inversion.
The theming isn’t as great as on other attractions (although the fire and water feature is impressive), but it’s fast and we love a loop. It’s over very quickly.
Queues are often long for this so wait until the evening when it quiets down or use the single-rider line. It’s also one of the best Priority Pass picks (we chose it second after Indiana Jones).
6) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
20,000 Leagues is a dark ride on one of Captain Nemo’s submarines deep below the sea in search of Atlantis. A beautiful and immersive ride.
It’s usually quieter than the other major rides, so you should be able to get on later in the day without the queues being too long.
7) Big Band Beat Show
We love Big Band Beat! This 25-minute Broadway-style show features dancers and a live band playing swing and jazz tunes from the 1920s to 1940s. Classic Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy dance alongside humans.
The performers are professional, the dialogue is in English (we’re in America after all), and the Broadway Music Theatre is a beautiful space with comfy seating.
It’s perfect for taking a break during a busy park day (you’ll see a few exhausted parents nodding off!).
To get tickets for Big Band Beat you need to make an Entry Request using the Tokyo Disney Resort app. Tickets are free but allocated by lottery. I recommend trying as soon as you enter the park.
If you don’t win tickets, unreserved seats may be available (we managed to get some on one visit).
Unreserved seats are limited so you’ll need to turn up early. On a fairly quiet day in the park we started queuing at 2.50 pm for the 3.15 pm show and they let people in at 2.55 pm. By 3 pm the seats were full.
8) Popcorn
Popcorn at Disney Japan is a big deal! The Japanese love to buy DisneySea Tokyo popcorn buckets in fun designs that they wear around their necks and refill throughout the day.
There are stands all over the park with different seasonal flavours. Our favourites include curry, black pepper, and soy sauce with butter.
Buy some popcorn as soon as you feel a bit hungry as the queues become longer later in the day. You can check wait times for the various stalls in the app.
9) Fortress Explorations
Fortress Explorations is a hidden gem at DisneySea and a great escape from the crowds in the afternoon.
It’s an interactive play area with ten exhibits within the fortress where you can study the planets and earth’s rotation, operate cannons and nautical instruments, sail miniature galleons (100 yen fee), and more.
Don’t miss the views of Mediterranean Harbor from the top.
10) Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage
Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage is a cross between Pirates of the Caribbean and It’s a Small World.
It’s a long, gentle dark ride on water as you sail pass Arabian scenes with Sinbad the sailor and tiger cub Chandu.
It’s a relaxing, low-pressure ride with short queues so do it later in the day.
11) Lunch in Venice
Ristorante di Canaletto is a surprisingly good Italian restaurant overlooking the Venice canals.
It’s one of the only restaurants in DisneySea with vegetarian options. We love the pizza here and it makes a nice break in a busy day. Lunch is cheaper than dinner.
It’s popular so reserve priority seating on the Tokyo Disney website 30 days in advance. Bookings are available from 10am JST and you need to be ready to book immediately (log on just before) as they go fast.
You can also try turning up at the restaurant when it opens at 10am to see if they have any availability. It’s best to be flexible with timings—we had to have lunch at 10.50 am on one visit and 1.40 pm on another.
12) The Teddy Roosevelt Lounge
The Teddy Roosevelt Lounge is one of the best DisneySea attractions and is unlike anywhere else we’ve come across in a Disney park.
It’s a 1920s themed bar aboard the S.S. Columbia cruise ship with amazing attention to detail that takes you back in time.
Relaxing on a couch here with a cocktail is the perfect retreat from the crowded park.
The creative drinks are named after the areas of the park. We loved the herbal, rum-based Mediterranean Harbour and the slightly bitter Mysterious Island with Campari and grapefruit.
Food is available but it’s not vegetarian-friendly.
There is usually a queue so it’s best to go outside lunch and dinner times (although on a quiet day we did get in at 1 pm).
To guarantee entry, it’s best to book priority seating 30 days in advance.
Afterwards, head up to the upper deck for fantastic views of the park.
13) Toy Story Mania!
This is an indoor interactive game with Toy Story characters where you rack up points by shooting in carnival games. It uses 3D projection and special effects and is a lot of fun.
It’s also very busy as the second most popular ride in the park after Soaring. Some consider it one of the best rides in Tokyo DisneySea, but if waits are long, we usually skip it (hence its lower ranking).
If you really want to ride it, head here first thing (as we did once with Early Entry) or pay for Disney Premier Access (see below).
14) Watch the Night Show
The perfect way to end your day at DisneySea is with a spectacular show on the water at Mediterranean Harbor.
Classic Disney characters sing your favourite songs with special effects using gigantic water screens, lasers, lights, and fire.
The latest show is called Believe! Sea of Dreams.
To watch the 30-minute performance, it’s best to get a good spot at less 30 minutes in advance. Or you can pay 2500 yen for Premier Access (for a better viewing area).
If you have an extra day available for DisneySea’s sister park, see our guide to the best Tokyo Disneyland rides.
Other Tokyo DisneySea Attractions
If you have the time, these DisneySea attractions are worth adding to your itinerary:
- DisneySea Transit Steamer Line – A relaxing way to get around the park or just ride it and enjoy the view.
- DisneySea Electric Railway – Same as the Steamer Line but by train instead of boat.
- Venetian Gondolas – If the queue isn’t too long, why not ride a gondola in the Venice canals?
- Caravan Carousel – Take a gentle ride on the second level of the carousel and enjoy views of Arabian Coast lit up at night.
- Aquatopia – A trackless water ride that’s not terribly exciting, but if the queues are short it’s worth popping on at night when the scenery is pretty.
- Mermaid Lagoon – This indoor world is full of kid’s rides, but it looks impressive and feels different from the rest of park. It’s worth a quick stroll through.
- Cape Cod – This is such a cute part of the American Waterfront port. There are no rides but it’s a lovely, quiet place for a wander (head up to the lighthouse).
Most importantly, make sure you take the time to wander and explore both during the day and at night (when it feels more mysterious).
There are many quiet hidden corners of the park and the theming is amazing throughout with so many details to appreciate.
Recommended Reading: 56 Best Things to Do in Japan for an Unforgettable Trip (DisneySea is one of them, of course!).
Fantasy Springs: New in 2024
Fantasy Springs is a new port at DisneySea that will open on 6 June 2024.
This huge expansion immerses you in the world of Frozen, Tangled, and Peter Pan. It includes four new attractions, three restaurants, a gift shop, and the luxury Fantasy Springs Hotel.
It’s important to know that unless you stay in a Disney hotel, you can only enter Fantasy Springs with either a Standby Pass (free) or Premier Access (paid) for the eligible attractions.
You can get these from the app after you have entered the park. These will be extremely popular (especially the free ones), so you’ll need to arrive at least an hour before park opening and apply as soon as you step through the gates.
Premier is available for the three boat rides: Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival, and Peter Pan’s Neverland Adventure.
The fourth ride, Fairy Tinkerbell’s Busy Buggy, is aimed at small children and is accessed with Standby Pass only.
Another way to access the land (and the only way to guarantee entry) is with the 1-Day Passport: Fantasy Springs Magic, which includes your park ticket and unlimited Premier access to the top three attractions. It costs from 22,900 yen ($148).
The passport is only available if you buy a Disney Vacation Package for any Tokyo Disney hotel (bookings available six months in advance) or stay at the new Fantasy Springs Hotel.
There’s a special entrance to the land from Fantasy Springs Hotel with unlimited access to the area. Rooms go on sale four months in advance at 11am JST and sell out in minutes.
We’re excited to visit the new port on our next DisneySea trip!
DisneySea 1 Day Itinerary for Adults
Disney Tokyo is usually very busy, so it’s vital to have a plan of action if you don’t want to waste your day in queues.
The first hour is most important so do as many rides as you can (without stopping for food) and then you can relax a bit.
This was our itinerary when we visited on a medium busy weekday in October when the park was open from 9 am to 9 pm.
To reduce our queue times, we paid for two Premier rides and managed to get three free Priority passes.
Make sure to buy your tickets online in advance.
- 8.30am – Entered the park with 15-minute Early Entry (staying at the Miracosta). As we walked, I got Priority for Indiana Jones (9-10am return time) and Simon got a Premier for Soaring (we chose 10am).
- 8.35am – Joined the Toy Story Mania queue (I would head to Soaring if you don’t want to pay). The ride doesn’t start until 8.45am when other guests are let in. We waited about 15 minutes. Apply for the Big Band Beat lottery while you wait.
- 9am – Tower of Terror (15-minute wait). Our second Priority was available so we got one for Raging Spirits at 11.25am.
- 9.35am – Indiana Jones with our Priority Pass (we waited 7 minutes).
- 9.50am – Soy sauce and butter popcorn outside Aquatopia with no queue. Most standby queues over an hour by now (Soaring at 135 minutes (!) and Toy Story at 90 minutes).
- 10am – Booked our second Premier Access for Journey to the Center of the Earth for 1pm.
- 10.20am – Soaring with our Premier Access (15-minute wait).
- 10.50am – Early pizza lunch at Zambini Brothers (or Canaletto for a table service meal if you can get in).
- 11.15am – Transit Steamer boat from Mediterranean Harbor to Lost River Delta.
- 12pm – Raging Spirits with Priority Pass (5-minute wait).
- 12.15pm – Fortress Explorations.
- 1pm – Journey to the Center of the Earth with Premier Access (15-minute wait).
- 1.30pm – Break at our hotel. Booked a third Priority for Raging Spirits at 8pm.
- 3.10pm – Cocktails at Teddy Roosevelt Lounge with a reservation.
- 4.20pm – Big Band Beat show with our lottery ticket.
- 5pm – Electric Railway from Waterfront to Port Discovery (12-minute wait)
- 5.30pm – Curry dinner at Casbah Food Court.
- 6pm – Sinbad’s Storybook Voyage and Caravan Carousel (both 5-minute waits).
- 7.30pm – Believe! Sea of Dreams show. Arrive at least 30 minutes in advance if you want a better view (some people get in place hours in advance). We could see it ok turning up on the bridge at the last minute.
- 8.05pm – Aquatopia (5-minute wait).
- 8.15pm – Simon rode Raging Spirits with Priority again.
- 8.30pm – Caught the fireworks as we left the park.
Note: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was closed on this visit. I recommend riding it in late morning.
DisneySea Tickets
Currently, you can only buy one-day Tokyo DisneySea tickets. There are no multi-day tickets available (except for a brief period in summer), so if you’d like to visit both DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland, you’ll need to buy two separate one-day tickets.
I don’t recommend trying to visit both parks in one day as there is too much to do in each and there are no park hopper tickets.
One-day DisneySea tickets cost from 7900 yen ($51) depending on the date.
You must buy tickets online before your visit and choose a specific date. Tickets go on sale two months in advance and they can sell out.
The easiest way to buy tickets is from authorised partner Klook, as international credit cards don’t work on the Tokyo Disney website.
You can book on their website or app then scan into the park directly with the QR code you are given.
Or as we did, scan your Klook ticket into the Disney app. You can then use the app as your ticket and be ready to apply for Premier and Priority passes as soon as you enter.
Buy your Tokyo DisneySea tickets here.
You can use Klook to book lots of fun things to do in Tokyo and get discounts on some attractions.
Priority Pass and Premier Access at Tokyo DisneySea
Tokyo Disney resort used to have a Fastpass system that allowed you to skip the queue at popular rides for free.
Fastpasses are no longer available and have been replaced by a paid service called Disney Premier Access and a free service called Priority Pass.
You can access these on the Tokyo Disney Resort app once you’ve entered the park. They do sell out so book as soon as you can.
You can also use the app to see ride wait times, join the Big Band Beat lottery, and book restaurants.
Priority Pass
Tokyo Disney introduced a free line skipping service in July 2023 called “Tokyo Disney Resort 40th Anniversary Priority Pass”.
While the anniversary celebrations have now ended, Priority Passes are still available.
Priority Pass works in a similar way to the old Fastpass, but you must book your slot on the Tokyo Disney app once you’ve entered the park.
You can book one ride at a time. You can’t choose a time and will be allocated the next available slot (with a one-hour window to ride).
Once the window for that ride has started (even if you haven’t ridden yet), or after 120 minutes have passed, you can book your next attraction.
Rides available with Priority Pass are:
- Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull
- Raging Spirits
- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
- Nemo & Friends SeaRider
- Turtle Talk
- The Magic Lamp Theater
Priority Pass is less useful at DisneySea than at Tokyo Disneyland and is only really needed for the first two rides on this list (plus Nemo if you really want to ride it).
Luckily, you can repeat rides, so if you love that inversion on Raging Spirits, you can ride it multiple times with the pass.
By getting our first Priority Pass as soon as we entered the park, then booking the next one as soon as allowed, we managed to get four in one day. On busy days, they can sell out by late morning.
Premier Access
Premier Access is a paid service for use on Soaring, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, and Journey to the Center of the Earth (plus the nighttime show).
Disney Premier Access costs 1500 – 2000 yen ($10-13) per ride and you can only buy one at a time. You can select a specific time to ride.
After one hour or once your ride slot has started, you can purchase Premier Access for another ride. Repeating the same ride is allowed.
Premier is most useful for Soaring. We also used it for Journey but it only saved us about 40 minutes of queueing.
Note: When Fantasy Springs opens in June 2024, the four new rides will only be accessible with Priority or Premier (no standby line). See above for details.
Time-Saving Tips for Tokyo DisneySea
Here are my top tips for reducing wait times at Tokyo DisneySea:
- Download the Tokyo Disney Resort app before your visit and have a look at the latest wait times.
- Visit on a weekday and avoid national holidays.
- Arrive 60 minutes before the park opens.
- Stay in a Disney resort for 15-minute early entry (but it’s very expensive).
- Focus on the most popular rides first: Soaring, Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror.
- Book Priority Pass rides on the app as soon as you enter the park (see above).
- Leave the middle of the day for low-key attractions that don’t get crowded. Or have a break at your hotel if you’re staying nearby.
- Try again in the last two hours of the day if queues are long. They may quiet down.
- Join the single-rider queue for Indiana Jones and Raging Spirits (but you won’t be sitting next to your companion).
- Purchase Disney Premier Access if necessary (see above).
Tokyo DisneySea Hotels
While it is possible to visit DisneySea from central Tokyo (we’ve done it twice), on our last few trips we stayed near the parks and much preferred it.
We were able to avoid the busy morning rush hour (the trains get very crowded), arrive more rested, and take a break during the afternoon when the park is busiest.
Especially if you are planning to spend two days at Tokyo Disney (and visit both parks), I highly recommend staying nearby.
You can then move on to central Tokyo to explore the city (we think Shinjuku is the best area to stay in Tokyo).
Budget Hotel in Walking Distance
We have stayed at Hotel Mystays Maihama which is the nearest budget hotel to the parks.
It’s a 10-minute walk from DisneySea, so it was easy to arrive at the park early and take an afternoon break. It’s actually closer to DisneySea than most of the official Disney hotels.
It’s excellent value compared to the pricey Disney hotels (from $110).
Our room was nothing fancy but was bright, comfortable, clean, and spacious for Tokyo. It was equipped with a fridge, kettle, and desk. Breakfast was not included in our rate so we bought snacks.
It’s a 15-minute walk to the Ikispari shopping centre, where there are plenty of shops and restaurants, and Maihama Station. It’s a 20-minute walk to Tokyo Disneyland or there’s a free shuttle at certain times.
Check the latest prices of Hotel Mystays Maihama here.
5-Star Hotels Near Tokyo Disney
If you are looking for a more luxurious hotel near DisneySea, there are a few overlooking Tokyo Bay, but you’ll need to take the monorail to the parks rather than walk.
Options include Hilton Tokyo Bay, Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay Hotel and Hotel Okura Tokyo Bay.
Search for more hotels near DisneySea here.
Official Disney Hotels
The main advantage of staying in an official Disney hotel is getting into the park 15 minutes early (Happy Entry). This will make it easier to get on popular rides like Soaring and Toy Story Mania.
You can currently only book Disney hotels four months in advance at 11am JST (or packages six months in advance).
If you can afford it (we paid $500 a night), stay in Hotel Miracosta which is actually inside DisneySea. We stayed there on our last trip and adored it!
You can’t beat the convenience (with a special entrance into the park) and we could even watch the Harbor show from our room. It sells out in minutes so you need to be prepared.
The new Fantasy Springs Hotel is the best option if you want guaranteed access to the new land, but again this will sell out in minutes.
The more affordable Disney Ambassador Hotel would be my next choice (although it’s still much more expensive than a non-Disney hotel).
It’s in the Ikispari mall close to the station and is only a 5-minute walk to Tokyo Disneyland and about 15 minutes to DisneySea (or a shuttle is available).
Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is the closest hotel to Disneyland but is less convenient for DisneySea.
Note that from 6 June 2024, guests staying at Tokyo Disneyland Hotel and Disney Ambassador Hotel will not be eligible for Happy Entry at DisneySea until further notice.
The Toy Story Hotel looks cute and colourful, but it’s a little further away than I’d like. That said it’s opposite Bayside Station on the monorail loop and is only one stop from the parks. It only includes Early Entry to Disneyland, not DisneySea.
The Best Time to Visit DisneySea
Avoid visiting DisneySea on weekends or national holidays as it will be extremely busy. The quietest days are usually Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
Check this Tokyo Disney crowd calendar to find the quietest day to visit. Look for days that are green or light blue. It’s in Japanese but with Google Translate you should be able to figure it out.
Mid-January is the quietest time to visit, but it will be cold and more rides than usual may be closed.
Late-April/early-May (Golden Week) is the busiest time of year and you’ll definitely want to avoid it.
If there’s a ride you really want to do, check Disney’s ride closure list to make sure it will be open.
You can also see the Tokyo Disney calendar for park opening and show times.
Food at DisneySea
Vegetarian and vegan food at DisneySea is limited, but there are a few enjoyable options (and it’s better than Tokyo Disneyland).
You can see all the Disney restaurant menus online. They are in Japanese so you’ll need to use Google Translate.
You can make reservations for table service restaurants on the day from 10am at the restaurant, but your choice of times will likely be limited.
You can also book online on the Tokyo Disney website up to one month before, which I recommend if you want to eat at Ristorante di Canaletto.
Vegan Food at DisneySea
- Casbah Food Court – The tasty Japanese-style vegetable curry with rice and naan is our favourite quick meal in the park.
- Miguel’s El Dorado Cantina – There are two new vegan options we haven’t tried yet: Tortilla Sandwich (a cold tortilla filled with beans, guacamole, veggies, and chips) and Mixed Greens (a salad of grains, beans, and veggies). Plus corn chips with avocado dip and french fries.
- Cafe Portofino – Another new vegan option is a “Plant-Based Dish with Orzo, Involtini Style”, which features plant-based meat.
The Instagram account Vegan at Tokyo Disney Resort is the best source of up to date information including which snacks are vegan.
Vegetarian Food at DisneySea
- Ristorante di Canaletto – The best option for a sit-down meal (reservations needed). Currently, the only vegetarian options are the Margherita pizza and a vegetable pizza, but the menu does change. The vegetable pizza could be made vegan as it only has a couple of mozzarella balls.
- Zambini Brothers’ Ristorante – A cheaper counter service Italian with a vegetarian long pizza (like a calzone stuffed with cheese, tomatoes, and pesto). It is pretty tasty although not as good as Canaletto’s pizza. Try getting an outside seat upstairs for good views.
- Mamma Biscotti’s Bakery – Pastries and cakes including the cute Mike Wazowski Melon Bread (a sweet fluffy bun).
You can also try popcorn, churros, fruit, and ice-cream (the Sea Salt Monaka seashell-shaped ice cream sandwich is our favourite) from the stands around the park.
Food Outside the Parks
A good option outside the parks is Guzman y Gomez, a Mexican chain restaurant in the Ikispari shopping centre between Disneyland and Maihama Station. We usually go here when we visit Tokyo Disneyland.
They have vegetarian versions of all their dishes (burritos, nachos, tacos, etc.). Or ask for them without cheese and sour cream for a vegan option.
Although vegetarian Japanese dishes in DisneySea are limited, there is plenty of delicious vegetarian food in Tokyo that you can try during the rest of your stay.
Should You Visit Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea?
If you only have one spare day in Tokyo we recommend DisneySea over Disneyland.
It’s unlike any of the other parks in the world with incredible theming, whereas Tokyo Disneyland is a more traditional Disney like Disneyland California, Disneyland Paris and Magic Kingdom Orlando.
Attractions at DisneySea are more adult-orientated and you can even buy alcoholic drinks. We also find Disneyland to be even busier than DisneySea.
If you want to see all the classic Disney characters and Cinderella’s Castle, then Disneyland is for you. See our guide to the best Tokyo Disneyland rides for tips on planning your day.
Best of all, if you have two days to spare in your Japan itinerary we recommend visiting both!
And, if you are a theme park fan, we also love Universal in Osaka which has the brilliant Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the new Super Nintendo World, and the scariest rollercoaster we’ve ever been on (the rides are more intense than at Disney).
Check out our favourite Universal Studios Japan rides.
How to Get to DisneySea
The nearest train station to Tokyo Disney is Maihama.
From Maihama station to DisneySea you can take the Disney Resort Monorail to DisneySea Station (260 yen) which takes 10 minutes or you can walk in about 15 minutes.
Allow about an hour to get from Shinjuku or Shibuya stations to DisneySea including transfer times and walking to the resort.
You can use the Navitime website or app to check train times. Trains will be very busy in the morning rush hour.
If you are spending a few days in Tokyo, I recommend getting a Suica or Pasmo card, which you can top up and use as a ticket for all trains in Tokyo including the monorail.
Tokyo Station to DisneySea
Take the JR Keiyo or JR Musashino line to Maihama. It takes about 15 minutes.
Shinjuku to DisneySea
Take the JR Chuo rapid line from Shinjuku to Tokyo then change to the JR Keiyo or JR Musashino line to Maihama. It takes about 30 minutes.
Shibuya to DisneySea
There are two options:
1) Take the JR Saikyo-Rinkai line to Shinkiba then change to the JR Keiyo line to Maihama. The Saikyo line technically ends at Osaki but some trains continue on the private Rinkai line to Shinkiba. This takes about 40 minutes.
We took this route to DisneySea as it’s fastest, but it has two downsides—trains don’t run that frequently so when we missed a train we had to wait 30 minutes for the next one, and it’s more expensive than JR lines (720 yen vs 410 yen for the whole journey).
2) Take the JR Yamanote line to Tokyo Station then change to the JR Keiyo or JR Musashino line to Maihama. It takes about 45 minutes.
We took the second route on our way back as it was late and the trains on route 1 are infrequent.
Is Tokyo DisneySea Worth Visiting?
DisneySea is one of our favourite things to do in Tokyo and we highly recommend it, especially if you are a Disney fan.
With excellent rides, impressive theming, and incredible attention to detail, it’s a day of pure magical fun.
Are you a Disney fan? You might also enjoy our one-day adult itineraries for Disneyland California and Disneyland Paris and our picks for the best things to do at Disney World Orlando.
More Japan Posts
Our Tokyo Travel Guides
- 14 Best Tokyo Disneyland Rides for Adults
- 26 Cool Things to Do in Tokyo
- 18 Best Things to Do in Shinjuku, Tokyo
- Why Shinjuku is the Best Area to Stay in Tokyo
- 12 Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Tokyo
Other Japan Posts
- Planning a Trip to Japan: Dos and Don’ts
- Two Weeks in Japan: A Detailed Itinerary
- 16 Unmissable Places to Visit in Japan
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Hi Erin, we found your DisneySea guide useful when we visited yesterday. It was the final day of a seven week holiday to Europe with our 9 and 7 year old so we were all a little tired. But we got to see most things. We had to queue for the Big Band Beat show as we didn’t win the lottery. The Tower of Terror also took 90 mins. Back home to Canberra now and straight back to work and school! I enjoyed your blog.
I’m glad it was useful!
I’m really happy I found your blog, I am going on a yoga retreat in January 2020 and then staying on in Tokyo to explore on my own, and going to both Disney park (big fan) Your posts have helped me hugely thank you. Flying solo 60 + chick lol!
Yoga + Disney in Japan – sounds like my perfect trip! Japan is so safe and polite that you’ll be fine as a solo traveller. Have an amazing time!
Thanks for the useful tips! I really appreciated that you went into detail on your itinerary to help me plan mine. Keep up the great work.
I’m glad you found it useful Vince!
Great post! My wife and I were recently at DisneySea and we succeeded in getting some vegan food at the Sailing Day Buffet because it is a buffet and you can pick what you want from a variety of options. We are not huge fans of buffets, but this one suited our needs, and the service was excellent.
That’s a good tip thanks!
Thank you for the comprehensive guide on Disney in Japan. I had no idea it was so beautiful!
It is a special place! We love wandering around and taking in all the details just as much as we enjoy the rides.
This Disney park wasn’t on my radar, thanks for the informative post! The rides look really neat (and unique). And the flavored popcorn sounds irresistible.
DisneySea is a really fun day out. And yes, the popcorn is delish!
OMG this looks like so much fun!! You guys are so lucky!
It really is! We are working our way through all the Disney parks in the world :)